Indiana Pacers: 66-1

July 31, 2019

This.

. .this is going to get ugly.
Paul George is likely done for the year with a broken leg, and Stephenson is grazing in purpler pastures. Down their two greatest perimeter players on offense and defense, the Indiana Pacers are likely to struggle in a big way.
Frank Vogel still has Roy Hibbert in the middle, and George Hill will continue to be among the NBA’s better defensive point guards. So getting stops should still be a power for Indy, however, scoring will be demanding.
Really rough.
Remember, this team ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency this past year. After the All-Star fracture, just the Sixers’ scoring attack was less powerful, per NBA.com. Taking away two of Indiana’s three leading scorers is going to make it nearly impossible to have buckets at anything greater than a bottom-five pace.
Perhaps Chris Copeland will stretch the floor with his shooting. Perhaps Hibbert will turn into a larger threat on the block. David West might have yet another big year in him.
But even though all three of these things come to pass, it’s difficult to say they’ll compensate for shedding George and Stephenson.
And in what may be the most terrifying harbinger of an offensive catastrophe to come, Donald Sloan leads Indy in preseason points per game and will be the starter at point guard for up to three months while Hill’s left knee mends.
Oh dear.